Scottish Executive

Cycling

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet representatives of the Highland Council to discuss the proposed final route of the Sustrans cycle network link between Newtonmore and Kingussie.

Nicol Stephen: The trunk road cycling officer is meeting representatives of Highland Council on 10 June 2003. Highland Council’s proposals for the route of this National Cycle Network link through Kingussie will be discussed as part of the agenda.

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any dentists are not accepting children as new NHS patients and, if so, what information it has on the matter, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

Environment

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to safeguard water purity in and around Fauldhouse, West Lothian.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) carries out monitoring of surface water, groundwater, landfill gas and emissions in respect of various waste disposal installations around Fauldhouse. SEPA also samples Breich Water both chemically and biologically at three points near Fauldhouse as part of its national water sampling and classification programme. If deterioration were to be detected, SEPA would initiate remedial action.

Environment

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental monitoring is taking place around Fauldhouse, West Lothian.

Ross Finnie: The information requested is not held centrally. This is an operational matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the local authority.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to extend the length of period for which aid will be made available to the fishing industry.

Ross Finnie: : Our current priority is to ensure EC State Aid approval to, and implementation of, the existing scheme proposals.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to increase the number of child psychologists.

Malcolm Chisholm: The availability of psychological interventions in general needs to be increased. Work is in hand to increase the number of clinical psychologists, improve the training of other professionals who can contribute and develop best practice for the most effective delivery structures. A new 'pathfinder' workforce group for mental health will assist with developing capacity and skills on a multi-agency basis. The Scottish Needs Assessment Programme review of child and adolescent mental health services provides a timely foundation on which to base development of support for children with mental health problems. The Scottish Executive Health Department has asked the national advisory Child Health Support Group to work with the NHS and partner agencies to act on the findings and implement recommendations in that report.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given in the Glasgow housing stock transfer proposal to any possibility that, under housing benefit regulations, the housing benefit of some elderly tenants would be reduced.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Glasgow stock transfer consultation document made it clear that tenants eligibility to housing benefit would not be affected. No tenants in Glasgow have their housing benefit reduced as a direct result of the housing stock transfer.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether sufficient finance has been made available in order to enable Glasgow Housing Association Ltd’s demolition programme to be implemented fully.

Ms Margaret Curran: Glasgow Housing Association Ltd's (GHA) fully costed 30-year business plan will enable the GHA to implement its demolition programme in full.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the final transfer price paid by Glasgow Housing Association Ltd to Glasgow City Council was in respect of the Glasgow housing stock transfer.

Ms Margaret Curran: Glasgow Housing Association Ltd paid £25 million to Glasgow City Council in respect of the Glasgow housing transfer.

Justice

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30310 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 October 2002, how many offences of (a) illegal importation of drugs, (b) producing, manufacture or cultivation of drugs and (c) supply or possession with intent to supply of drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 the police recorded in 2002, broken down by local authority area.

Cathy Jamieson: The recorded crime statistics collected centrally can not identify individual sections of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The most detailed crime categories available are shown in the following table. These contain crimes recorded under various statutes and several different sections of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

  Crimes Recorded by the Police by Council Area, Scotland, 2002

  


Council area 
  

Illegal importation of drugs 
  

Production, manufacture or cultivation of 
  drugs 
  

Supply, possession with intent to supply 
  of drugs 
  



Scotland 
  

3 
  

185 
  

10,139 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

0 
  

4 
  

615 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

0 
  

1 
  

161 
  



Angus 
  

0 
  

2 
  

116 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

0 
  

1 
  

80 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

0 
  

1 
  

79 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

0 
  

6 
  

342 
  



Dundee City 
  

0 
  

5 
  

296 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

0 
  

6 
  

299 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  

122 
  



East Lothian 
  

0 
  

5 
  

147 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

0 
  

3 
  

43 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

0 
  

20 
  

1,329 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

0 
  

2 
  

14 
  



Falkirk 
  

0 
  

1 
  

230 
  



Fife 
  

0 
  

42 
  

672 
  



Glasgow City 
  

0 
  

21 
  

2,002 
  



Highland 
  

1 
  

11 
  

271 
  



Inverclyde 
  

0 
  

1 
  

274 
  



Midlothian 
  

0 
  

4 
  

120 
  



Moray 
  

0 
  

2 
  

58 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

0 
  

3 
  

278 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

1 
  

9 
  

553 
  



Orkney 
  

0 
  

3 
  

19 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

0 
  

4 
  

374 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

1 
  

7 
  

259 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

0 
  

8 
  

178 
  



Shetland 
  

0 
  

0 
  

26 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

0 
  

1 
  

240 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

0 
  

4 
  

273 
  



Stirling 
  

0 
  

1 
  

174 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

0 
  

3 
  

184 
  



West Lothian 
  

0 
  

4 
  

311

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the implications of the judgement by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in the case of Fawcett  v McRoberts that it is acceptable within the law for a Scottish child to be taken to reside in the United States of America by a parent with residence rights and without the consent of a parent with contact rights or Scottish court approval.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is aware of this appeal decision. The case arose following an abduction to the USA from Scotland following which the Scottish child was ordered to be returned to Scotland under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980. An appeal against this was allowed on grounds which have given rise to concern. The appeal court has since denied an application from the Scottish mother against this appeal judgment.

  The Scottish Executive shares the concerns about the terms of this appeal judgment and, as Central Authority in Scotland under the Hague Convention, is doing all it properly can to support the efforts of the Scottish mother and her attorney in the USA.

  Normally, when an application is submitted under the Hague Convention, the requested state will arrange for the applicant to receive cost free legal and administrative advice and assistance. The United States has, however, made a reservation to this and so when an application is submitted to the USA the Central Authority in the USA will arrange for pro bono representation for the applicant. I understand it can become more difficult to secure pro bono assistance when appeals are made. Scottish Legal Aid can only be made available for proceedings in the Scottish courts and does not cover proceedings raised in the USA or other countries.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the judgement by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in the case of Fawcett  v McRoberts  contravenes section 2(3) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and, if so, what steps it is taking to protect the interests of Scottish children and parents with contact rights.

Cathy Jamieson: The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 does not form part of the law of the USA. However, the Scottish Executive shares the concerns expressed about the effect of this appeal judgement having regard to the terms of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, to which both the UK and US are parties.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the situation of Scottish parents whose children have been abducted to the United States of America and for whom no legal aid support can be offered to defend court actions initiated there.

Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-240 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to secure the interest of Scottish parents in circumstances such as the repeated process of appeal used by the appellant in the case of Fawcett  v McRoberts  in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit which created substantial demands on pro bono representation in the United States of America.

Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-00240. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Planning

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a third-party right of appeal against planning applications.

Ms Margaret Curran: On 28 March I launched the White Paper Your Place Your Plan , containing measures for strengthening and enhancing public involvement in the planning system. In the paper, we announced an intention to issue a consultation paper during 2003 on the subject of a third party right of appeal against planning decisions. This commitment to consult has been reiterated in our Partnership Agreement. An announcement about the consultation will be made shortly.

Public Bodies

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in consideration of relocation of the Common Services Agency or NHS Health Scotland to West Lothian.

Malcolm Chisholm: The announcement in March of the future location of the Common Services Agency’s (CSA) Edinburgh-based staff confirmed the agency’s contribution to the Scottish Executive’s policy on relocation whilst recognising its own regional-based property strategy. The agency is planning the relocation of around 160 posts outwith Edinburgh before the end of 2004 to be followed by a further 75 posts by the end of 2006. Work is currently under way to scope the options for the relocation of these CSA posts to Aberdeen, Livingston and the west of Scotland.

  NHS Health Scotland is currently reviewing its options for relocation.

Rail Network

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the refranchising of passenger rail services.

Nicol Stephen: Following a pre-qualification exercise, on 14 March 2003 the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) announced the shortlist of four companies which will be invited to bid for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise. These are Arriva Trains Ltd, First Group plc, National Express Group PLC and Serco Rail/Netherlands Railways.

  The Scottish Executive, SRA and Strathclyde Passenger Transport are currently developing the franchise specification and the bidding documentation will be issued to bidders in due course.

Rail Network

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it envisages service improvements on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Shotts line within a new passenger rail franchise.

Nicol Stephen: In 2002-03 the Scottish Executive provided £150,000 to West Lothian Council to look at options for improving services on the Shotts line. The implications of this work are still being assessed.

  Bidders for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise are being advised by the Strategic Rail Authority to consult with stakeholders in the preparation of their bids. The franchise agreement will include a mechanism by which future service or infrastructure enhancements can be incorporated to the franchise on agreed terms.

Rail Network

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the reopening of the Bathgate to Airdrie rail line.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has made available £500,000 to West Lothian Council in order to fund a detailed engineering study into the proposed re-opening of the Airdrie/Bathgate line. We expect the study to be completed by spring 2004.

Rail Network

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of reopening the railway lines to St Andrews and Leven.

Nicol Stephen: The estimated cost of reopening infrastructure, including stations and branch lines, and their annual operating cost is dependent on the project specification. This would be a matter for any promoter who may wish to take these projects forward and the information is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive.

Rail Network

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated annual subsidy would be required for the railway service to St Andrews and Leven if the lines were to be reopened.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-00348. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Rail Network

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of reopening the railway stations at Blackford, Greenloaning, Wormit, Newburgh and Methil and what the annual cost would be of keeping the stations open.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-00348 on 6 June 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Road Accidents

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents have occurred at, or near, the roundabout or junction at (a) Newbridge, (b) Maybury, (c) Gogar and (d) Barnton in each of the last 10 years.

Nicol Stephen: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the "Stats 19" statistical report format. These returns cover only accidents in which one or more people were injured - they do not cover "damage only" accidents.

  The statistical system is not designed to provide the precise numbers of injury accidents at particular locations. However, estimates can be produced from the information in the "Stats 19" returns. The following table gives the numbers of injury accidents which are "at or within 20 metres of a junction" (including the relevant roundabouts), according to the "Stats 19" code for "Junction Detail".

  It should be noted that the statistics given are based upon the data which are held in the central statistical database and which were collected by the police at the time of the accident and subsequently reported to the Executive. They may differ from any figures which the local authority would provide now, because they do not take account of any subsequent changes or corrections that the local authority may have made to the statistical information, for use at a local level, about the location of each accident, based upon its knowledge of the road and area concerned.

  Approximate numbers of injury road accidents that have occurred at, or within 20 metres of, the specified roundabouts or junctions, as recorded in the central statistical database.

  


Year 
  

Newbridge 
  

Maybury 
  

Gogar 
  

Barnton 
  



1992 
  

8 
  

2 
  

9 
  

6 
  



1993 
  

8 
  

8 
  

6 
  

1 
  



1994 
  

5 
  

8 
  

9 
  

2 
  



1995 
  

5 
  

6 
  

5 
  

2 
  



1996 
  

6 
  

1 
  

7 
  

6 
  



1997 
  

5 
  

2 
  

12 
  

5 
  



1998 
  

8 
  

2 
  

6 
  

6 
  



1999 
  

4 
  

1 
  

10 
  

3 
  



2000 
  

4 
  

3 
  

3 
  

2 
  



2001 
  

2 
  

2 
  

7 
  

2 
  



  Note: Information for 2002 is not yet available.

Road Safety

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will grant further powers to local authorities to enable them to increase the number of 20 mph zones outside schools.

Nicol Stephen: Local authorities have considerable powers and flexibility with regard to the introduction of 20 mph speed limits at suitable locations, including outside schools. They have power to introduce mandatory 20 mph zones, in which engineering measures are a standard feature to ensure that the zones are self enforcing; mandatory 20 mph speed limits with or without traffic calming measures, and advisory 20 mph speed limits.

  Local authorities also have power to introduce variable 20 mph speed limits. These can be used at times when children are going to and from school. The Executive is working with the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland on trials of non-standard lower cost signs for variable speed limits. Trials, mainly involving variable 20 mph speed limits, are currently proceeding outside a number of schools in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Glasgow and West Lothian.

  The Society of Chief Officers of Transportation is evaluating the trials and a report is expected in July. The society will thereafter discuss with the Executive the way forward in the light of the evaluation.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has set a target date for the commencement of the building of the Aberdeen peripheral route.

Nicol Stephen: As the then Minister for Transport, Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, Iain Gray announced on 19 March, the target date for construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route to begin is 2007, subject to the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures, with a view to the road opening by the end of 2010.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the current proposed southern route for the Aberdeen western peripheral road.

Nicol Stephen: The proposed route of the western peripheral route between the A90 (South) at Charleston and the A96 has been the subject of public consultation and the proposed corridor has been endorsed by both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils. The Scottish Executive, as trunk roads authority, intends to promote draft orders based on that corridor following a detailed engineering investigation.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable and timescales will be for each task that has to be undertaken before the Aberdeen western peripheral road tender can be let.

Nicol Stephen: There is much to be done before the tender for the western peripheral route can be let and my officials, with colleagues at Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils, have this work in hand. The key milestones ahead of us, with their estimated timings follow:

  Appoint consultant - October 2003

  Complete main ground investigation - July 2004

  Publish draft road and compulsory purchase orders for public consultation (showing proposed line of the road and necessary land purchase) - spring 2005

  Hold a public local inquiry – winter 2005

  Make orders (confirming the final route of the road and acquiring land) – autumn 2006.

Roads

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimate is of the cost of dualling the A9 for its entire length between Perth and Inverness.

Nicol Stephen: The most recent detailed estimate of this cost dates back to 1994 and totalled £281 million. However, projecting forward to today's prices, and taking account of additional works not previously included, we estimate that the costs of dualling would now be in the region of £450 million to £500 million.

Roads

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from Tayside Police and others on extending dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Nicol Stephen: A number of organisations and individuals have called for further dualling of the A9 trunk route. However, I am not aware of any direct representations from Tayside Police on this issue.

  Tayside Police, along with the Northern Constabulary, local authorities and BEAR Scotland Ltd, work closely with the Executive, through the A9 Road Safety Group, to examine all aspects of safety on the A9.

Roads

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to extend dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Nicol Stephen: On 20 March 2003 we announced funding of £20 million to support development of 10 new road improvement schemes over the next three years. Three of these schemes will benefit the A9 by providing an extension of the dual carriageway section at Crubenmore; a new climbing lane at Bankfoot, and carriageway widening to provide overtaking opportunities between Kincraig and Dalraddy.

  In addition, we will carry out a Route Improvement Strategy Study for the southern section of the A9 to consider longer term options for improvements between Perth, Dunkeld, Pitlochry and Blair Atholl.

Roads (Scotland) Act 1984

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 so that an area used as a road but not legally classified as such becomes legally subject to the normal construction consent process for roads.

Nicol Stephen: There are no current plans to amend the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review or replace the current system of social inclusion partnerships.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Community Regeneration Statement Better Communities in Scotland: Closing the Gap , which was published in June 2002, sets out the framework for regeneration and the migration of social inclusion partnerships to community planning partnerships.

Tourism

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Dumfries and Galloway Area Tourist Board will receive its final allocation from the £850,000 allocated to it for foot-and-mouth disease recovery.

Mr Frank McAveety: Dumfries and Galloway Tourist Board received an allocation of £850,000 in January 2002, as recorded in VisitScotland’s Annual Report for 2001-02. The allocation of resources to area tourist boards is a matter for VisitScotland.

Waste Management

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has to review its monitoring of radioactive discharges from the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant

Ross Finnie: Monitoring of discharges from Sellafield is a matter for the Environment Agency for England and Wales. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Food Standards Agency are responsible for the monitoring of radioactivity in the Scottish environment. I understand that these bodies are currently carrying out a comprehensive review of the monitoring programme.

Waste Management

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a public inquiry into dumping and disposal by landfill of toxic materials around Fauldhouse, West Lothian, and whether there have been any risks to public health associated with any such dumping and disposal.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has no plans to conduct a public inquiry into the issue of landfill of toxic materials around Fauldhouse.

  The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) carries out monitoring of surface water, groundwater, landfill gas and emissions in respect of various waste disposal installations around Fauldhouse, and advises that at the present time at no site falling under SEPA’s jurisdiction is there an adverse impact to be ameliorated. In the case of sites for which the waste disposal or management licence expired before 31 March 1996, and which are not therefore a matter for that agency, the local authority, West Lothian Council, is responsible for carrying out inspections, and detailed investigations if these are necessary.

Waste Management

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to safeguard the health of residents of Fauldhouse, West Lothian, in respect of any effects from dumping and disposal by landfill of toxic materials around the village.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the local authority have responsibilities for carrying out a level of monitoring and investigation of waste disposal activities that is appropriate to the level of environmental risk, including the risk of environmental degradation hazardous to human health. For these responsibilities I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-355 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Waste Management

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to undertake an assessment of any effect on the environment of dumping and disposal by landfill of toxic materials around Fauldhouse, West Lothian.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency makes an assessment of the environmental effects of waste disposal as a matter of course when exercising its regulatory duties in respect of landfill installations.

Waste Management

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to assess the environmental impact of dumping and disposal by landfill of toxic materials around West Lothian.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the local authority have responsibilities for the assessment of the environmental impact of such landfilI, for which I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-00355 on 6 June 2003 . All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Waste Management

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ameliorate any adverse impact of dumping and disposal by landfill of toxic materials around Fauldhouse, West Lothian.

Ross Finnie: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the local authority. Waste management activities are controlled by the land use planning process, operated by the local authority, and by the landfill permitting process operated by the agency. In terms of ensuring that existing or closed sites do not have adverse impacts, I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-00355 on 6 June 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.